Everyone's Blog Posts - JenSocial: Social Web Directory and Ning Tips2018-02-22T04:38:11Zhttp://jensocial.com/profiles/blog/feed?xn_auth=noMessage from Ning CEO - January 4, 2017tag:jensocial.com,2017-01-06:2154984:BlogPost:5252542017-01-06T22:00:00.000ZJenSocialhttp://jensocial.com/profile/jmarco
<p>If you're negative about the Ning platform, I sure can't blame you. You have excellent reasons for feeling this way. But, call me crazy. After the announcement (January 4th, 2017) from the CEO of Ning, <strong>I am 100% convinced that Ning will make a complete and total comeback!</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Excerpt from Announcement:</strong></p>
<p><em>I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every Network Creator for your continued support! On behalf of the entire Ning…</em></p>
<p>If you're negative about the Ning platform, I sure can't blame you. You have excellent reasons for feeling this way. But, call me crazy. After the announcement (January 4th, 2017) from the CEO of Ning, <strong>I am 100% convinced that Ning will make a complete and total comeback!</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Excerpt from Announcement:</strong></p>
<p><em>I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every Network Creator for your continued support! On behalf of the entire Ning Interactive team, I can tell you that we’re motivated and inspired by the communities you’ve created and are dedicated to helping you and your networks succeed. </em></p>
<p><em>The past few years have been challenging, both to our employees and more so to you, our Network Creators, but <strong>I can confirm that’s all in the past now. We’re committed to developing our people, strengthening our platform, and reopening the lines of communication while rebuilding our own community here on Creators. We’re excited for the future and the opportunity to work with you, and we hope to exceed your expectations.</strong></em></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font-size-5"><em><a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/a-message-from-our-ceo" target="_blank">Full Story HERE:</a></em></span></strong></p>New Ning 3.0 Feature! Add Slideshow to Photo Moduletag:jensocial.com,2016-10-22:2154984:BlogPost:5236182016-10-22T06:05:45.000ZJenSocialhttp://jensocial.com/profile/jmarco
<p><strong>Ning has added yet another new feature to Ning 3.0!</strong> A fellow Creator found the feature, before an announcement. Kudos to <a href="http://thisisbully.com/" target="_blank">ThisIsBully</a> for his awesome detective work.</p>
<ul>
<li>Edit your Photo Module, or add a new Photo Module to any page.</li>
<li>Select Display: Slideshow</li>
<li>Select Transition: Slide or Fade</li>
<li>Show each photo for: 3, 5, 10, or 20 seconds.</li>
<li>Update and Save.</li>
</ul>
<p>See…</p>
<p><strong>Ning has added yet another new feature to Ning 3.0!</strong> A fellow Creator found the feature, before an announcement. Kudos to <a href="http://thisisbully.com/" target="_blank">ThisIsBully</a> for his awesome detective work.</p>
<ul>
<li>Edit your Photo Module, or add a new Photo Module to any page.</li>
<li>Select Display: Slideshow</li>
<li>Select Transition: Slide or Fade</li>
<li>Show each photo for: 3, 5, 10, or 20 seconds.</li>
<li>Update and Save.</li>
</ul>
<p>See screencast for demonstration.</p>
<p>Note: It may not be ready for prime-time. But, it worked for me.</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DfOyTNjchxA?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p>Good Riddance Mode Media! Exciting News About Ning + Cyndx LLCtag:jensocial.com,2016-09-17:2154984:BlogPost:5229422016-09-17T05:00:00.000ZJenSocialhttp://jensocial.com/profile/jmarco
<h3><span class="font-size-4">Announcement from Creators.ning.com (Ning):</span></h3>
<h3><a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/exciting-news-about-ning-cyndx-llc" target="_blank">Exciting News About Ning + Cyndx LLC</a></h3>
<blockquote><p>We are pleased to announce that Cyndx LLC entered into an agreement with Mode Media to take over the operations of Ning Inc from Mode Media immediately. The Ning and Cyndx teams together are bigger, stronger, and better positioned to…</p>
</blockquote>
<h3><span class="font-size-4">Announcement from Creators.ning.com (Ning):</span></h3>
<h3><a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/exciting-news-about-ning-cyndx-llc" target="_blank">Exciting News About Ning + Cyndx LLC</a></h3>
<blockquote><p>We are pleased to announce that Cyndx LLC entered into an agreement with Mode Media to take over the operations of Ning Inc from Mode Media immediately. The Ning and Cyndx teams together are bigger, stronger, and better positioned to provide innovative media solutions that will improve our customers social experience.</p>
<p>Our combined organization is committed to maintaining excellence and strong customer relationships (<a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/exciting-news-about-ning-cyndx-llc" target="_blank">read more...</a>)</p>
</blockquote>
<h3><span class="font-size-4">From Ning's Facebook Page:</span></h3>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/la2V-cBKomq5oCETBlOtF8ueyMyr12zu5NmmGthne*n8opxBdvaFNs230iNeRIuSXcSRcHA26uuMGVdu-Y75-nJxsF16Iy3M/ss_nings_facebook_page_update.jpg"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/la2V-cBKomq5oCETBlOtF8ueyMyr12zu5NmmGthne*n8opxBdvaFNs230iNeRIuSXcSRcHA26uuMGVdu-Y75-nJxsF16Iy3M/ss_nings_facebook_page_update.jpg" width="506"/></a></span></p>
<h3><span class="font-size-4"><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/la2V-cBKomqdGrmK1ibCn9NgEfD7n2Vhdk5PdDWRxiQDYsZDUxsFoGAZQBfVuCFStJlQq9y8oc7Es5yNzY0SWsoFFEF-YXz1/ss_nings_facebook_page.jpg"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/la2V-cBKomqdGrmK1ibCn9NgEfD7n2Vhdk5PdDWRxiQDYsZDUxsFoGAZQBfVuCFStJlQq9y8oc7Es5yNzY0SWsoFFEF-YXz1/ss_nings_facebook_page.jpg" width="505"/></a></span></h3>
<h3><span class="font-size-4">In the News:</span></h3>
<h3><a target="_blank" href="http://venturebeat.com/2016/09/15/mode-media-once-a-1b-valued-company-about-shuts-down-abruptly/">Mode Media, once a $1 billion valued company, shuts down abruptly ...</a></h3>
<h3><a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/what-1-billion-high-flying-mode-media-shuts-down/" target="_blank">What $1 billion? High-flying Mode Media shuts down</a></h3>
<hr/><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">I say good riddance to the most destructive force this platform has ever had to endure. </span></strong> Of course, I feel badly for the Mode Media employees, and the bloggers left without pay. But, let's not forget the disgraceful treatment of the original mighty, powerful, and talented Ning Team. And what about Ning's Customers? It would take me a week to express that story.</p>
<p><strong>Summary:</strong> Practically since the day Mode Media purchased Ning, they (Management) have ignored the Ning Customer base. They have made it quite clear - - <span style="color: #ff0000;"><em>We don't give a crap about our customers.</em></span> OMG, it feels good to finally speak the truth. There have been few promises met (if any), very little support, and nothing but a regimented team of detached employees. And, according to my inside sources, those employees were given no choice.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">The Future:<br/></span></strong></p>
<p>I have my fingers crossed that Cyndx will take this bull by the horn, and bring back the creative power of Ning, that we all knew and loved. We can only hope for the best. In my view, just the fact that someone on Ning Creators is speaking like a <em>real person</em> instead of a robot, we're already in better shape. <strong><em>The hostages have been set free!</em></strong> Let's just hope that Cyndx doesn't take the same approach. If they do, I am done. But, I have a good feeling...</p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Let us know how you feel about these recent events.</strong></span></p>Ning RAISING RATES for Ning 2.0 sitestag:jensocial.com,2016-08-31:2154984:BlogPost:5223252016-08-31T20:30:00.000ZJenSocialhttp://jensocial.com/profile/jmarco
<p>Feel free to discuss. I have little to say, so disappointed in this company, on so many levels.</p>
<p><a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/notice-of-upcoming-price-changes-to-ning-2-0-networks" target="_blank">Announcement on Creators, CLICK HERE.</a> …</p>
<p><a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/notice-of-upcoming-price-changes-to-ning-2-0-networks" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/bghkZFo2d31hBHsnqS2v5BM7ku-asUJ48whLh5oTK*dfSt22*4krsg7a6QUuPs4NNPJDeSHPx*pidGa5ahwtYu0pbiRBSLVB/NingRaisingRatesNing2.0.jpg" width="509"></img></a></p>
<p>Feel free to discuss. I have little to say, so disappointed in this company, on so many levels.</p>
<p><a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/notice-of-upcoming-price-changes-to-ning-2-0-networks" target="_blank">Announcement on Creators, CLICK HERE.</a> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/notice-of-upcoming-price-changes-to-ning-2-0-networks"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/bghkZFo2d31hBHsnqS2v5BM7ku-asUJ48whLh5oTK*dfSt22*4krsg7a6QUuPs4NNPJDeSHPx*pidGa5ahwtYu0pbiRBSLVB/NingRaisingRatesNing2.0.jpg" width="509"/></a></p>Conversation on Twitter with former Mode Media/CEO, Former CEO of Ningtag:jensocial.com,2016-05-18:2154984:BlogPost:5208872016-05-18T21:30:00.000ZJenSocialhttp://jensocial.com/profile/jmarco
<p>May 18, 2016</p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">For what it's worth, finally "heard" from someone involved with Ning, the former Ning CEO - - and (just found out today, <em>Former</em> of Mode Media/CEO, as well), Samir Arora. It wasn't much, but <strong>great</strong> to hear he is listening. Does this mean Ning will improve their communication dialogue with Ning Creators? Who knows? But, maybe, just maybe, they will start listening, or at least tell Ning Creators their plans for the future…</span></p>
<p>May 18, 2016</p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">For what it's worth, finally "heard" from someone involved with Ning, the former Ning CEO - - and (just found out today, <em>Former</em> of Mode Media/CEO, as well), Samir Arora. It wasn't much, but <strong>great</strong> to hear he is listening. Does this mean Ning will improve their communication dialogue with Ning Creators? Who knows? But, maybe, just maybe, they will start listening, or at least tell Ning Creators their plans for the future of this platform. Honestly, this is the first time in 2 years I have heard one word from this company, other than support calls, "...working on the issues, updates to come..." AND the announcement: <a href="http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/notice-of-2016-storage-limit-and-pricing-plan-changes">Notice of 2016 Storage Limit and Pricing Plan Changes</a>. I just wanted to share this with you all. If you want to follow on Twitter, click on one of the links, below.</span></p>
<div><a title="phpFox - Build Your Own Social Community!" target="_blank" href="https://clients.phpfox.com/aff.php?aff=48"><img style="float: left; padding: 10px; margin-top: 20px;" alt="phpFox - Build Your Own Social Community!" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/rEr1ETJh5sSGufep-bM97s3BBhs9FV7UqdpipfzgsafcSxxmD1q5D*ouKAO0tAq0Y50tmo*kRdUt91vlgm*Idk7vOBoNum16/300x250.gif" height="159" width="191"/></a><br/> <br/>
I will continue to <a title="JenCreative.co" href="http://jencreative.co/" target="_blank">design sites</a> on Ning, help maintain existing sites. BUT, I am about to embrace the new version of phpFox! I love what I'm seeing.</div>
<div style="overflow:auto; width:500px; height:400px; background-color:#ffffff; color:#000000; padding:1px; text-align:left"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/samirarora">@samirarora</a> Great someone involved <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/Ning">@Ning</a> listening finally. LOVE <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ning?src=hash">#Ning</a> but must have reliable platform/open dialogue <a rel="nofollow" href="https://t.co/QHfZbzdxSD">https://t.co/QHfZbzdxSD</a></p>
— JenSocial Directory (@jensocial) <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/jensocial/status/733036005444354049">May 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/Ning">@Ning</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/samirarora">@samirarora</a> You set up phone intros with several Ning Site Owners, when <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/ModeMedia">@ModeMedia</a> first purchased <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ning?src=hash">#Ning</a>. I thought you cared? Show it</p>
— JenSocial Directory (@jensocial) <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/jensocial/status/731187558986616832">May 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/samirarora">@samirarora</a> Thanks! We all feel lost. Had no idea you were no longer <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ning?src=hash">#Ning</a> CEO. ZERO communication updates/overall. About to embrace <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/phpFox">@phpFox</a></p>
— JenSocial Directory (@jensocial) <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/jensocial/status/733029563937230855">May 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>
<p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; padding-top: 10px;"><a target="_blank" href="http://jensocial.com/profiles/blogs/conversation-on-twitter-with-mode-media-ceo-former-ceo-of-ning"><img style="float: left; padding: 0px 15px;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/jDjE-FHLioE4cAQdtekzKX7cwqJtJ7z6dVAk4n79*712vgNmTixRhzGKfvVbAUIn6EhXQIk0uU*phYMCb1q96lgKM-vd3SSH/breakingnews.png" width="156"/></a>This Blog post started out with sharing a very short Twitter response from the former CEO of Ning and Mode Media. It's turned into an active discussion on Ning alternatives. Join the conversation.</p>Replacement Laptop Key Brandstag:jensocial.com,2015-10-12:2154984:BlogPost:5154682015-10-12T10:14:20.000ZReplacement Laptop Keyshttp://jensocial.com/profile/ReplacementLaptopKeys
<p>As you may know, there are a number of brand names or makes for laptop computers. Furthermore, there are several laptop models that pertain to each brand. It is important to keep this in mind if you ever have to seek out a replacement part or piece of hardware for your laptop computer. After all, not every part or replacement piece will suit your specific laptop or notebook. Different makes and models call for different parts, replacement keys, batteries, and other hardware.</p>
<p>Some of…</p>
<p>As you may know, there are a number of brand names or makes for laptop computers. Furthermore, there are several laptop models that pertain to each brand. It is important to keep this in mind if you ever have to seek out a replacement part or piece of hardware for your laptop computer. After all, not every part or replacement piece will suit your specific laptop or notebook. Different makes and models call for different parts, replacement keys, batteries, and other hardware.</p>
<p>Some of the different brands of laptops on the market today are as follows: Acer, Toshiba, IBM, Apple, Compaq, Asus, Dell, Sony, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Gateway, and Emachines. If you are in need of replacement laptop keys or any other parts for your computer, be sure to keep the brand name in mind. Now, take a look at the model you have. There are different models of Apple, IBM, and most other laptop computers. For instance, one type of Apple laptop is the MacBook Pro. Once you have determined the brand and model of your laptop, you can then proceed with purchasing the new hardware or replacement laptop keys you need.</p>
<p>If you are in need of <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com">replacement laptop keys</a>, please take a look at the PURCHASE LAPTOP KEYS section of our website in order to select your computer’s brand name. Once you have selected the brand, you can then click on the computer model name. At this point, you can select the specific color of key you need, followed by the specific letter, number, symbol, or command. Please remember that we do offer all types of replacement laptop computer keys. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us via email or phone.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/">http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/</a></p>Gum Disease Treatmenttag:jensocial.com,2015-10-01:2154984:BlogPost:5149492015-10-01T10:43:40.000ZDiscovery Dental WAhttp://jensocial.com/profile/DiscoveryDentalWA
<p>Treating gum disease can be accomplished in a number of ways, and whether it'll be an easy or difficult task depends on several things, beginning with one's health. There are a variety of treatments for gum disease depending on its severity, your response to earlier treatments, and your overall health. Now, the best way to make sure that your dental health is well-maintained, is to take care of your gums through regular visits to your local dentist. There are two main ways your dentist will…</p>
<p>Treating gum disease can be accomplished in a number of ways, and whether it'll be an easy or difficult task depends on several things, beginning with one's health. There are a variety of treatments for gum disease depending on its severity, your response to earlier treatments, and your overall health. Now, the best way to make sure that your dental health is well-maintained, is to take care of your gums through regular visits to your local dentist. There are two main ways your dentist will approach gum disease prevention-nonsurgical and surgical treatments. Scaling and root planing is essentially a treatment where your dentist applies a local anesthetic, and performs a deep cleaning. This scrubs away tartar from above and below the gum line, and smooths out any rough spots on your teeth. The smoothing process will usually get rid of unhealthy bacteria, and provide a nice tidy surface for the gums to get nice and cosy with their perennial neighbors, the teeth. Your dentist will decide to perform a root planing and scaling procedure if there are deposits of plaque and calculus below your gum line which need to be removed.</p>
<p>When gum disease has progressed well beyond the point where non-surgical methods can help, surgical treatments may be in your near future. One surgery is a pocket reduction/flap surgery, in which the gums are pulled back from the teeth, and the problem pockets of tartar removed. Another surgical treatment is bone grafts, which involves pieces of human bone or synthetic bone inserted in the jawbone to replace those destroyed by gum disease. Lastly, there is bone surgery, where your dentist removes shallow divots caused by advanced bone loss, making it harder for bacteria to grow. Needless to say, surgical methods are not the first choice unless the health of the patient just doesn't sit well with nonsurgical methods, aside from being inconvenient. Your dentist will consult with you whether a surgical option will be most suited for your particular situation.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.discoverydentalwa.com">http://www.discoverydentalwa.com</a></b></p>About - Fidelus Technologies LLCtag:jensocial.com,2015-09-29:2154984:BlogPost:5145102015-09-29T06:31:30.000ZFidelus Technologies LLChttp://jensocial.com/profile/FidelusTechnologiesLLC
<p align="center"><b>About - Fidelus Technologies LLC</b></p>
<p align="center"></p>
<p><b>We are Fidelus.</b> We make the complex simple. <a href="http://www.fidelus.com/">Fidelus Technologies LLC</a> is a leading provider of Cisco Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) Solutions, including voice calls, video, chat, presence and web sharing. We will work with your company to determine the best design to implement the optimal combination of products and services tailored to your specific…</p>
<p align="center"><b>About - Fidelus Technologies LLC</b></p>
<p align="center"></p>
<p><b>We are Fidelus.</b> We make the complex simple. <a href="http://www.fidelus.com/">Fidelus Technologies LLC</a> is a leading provider of Cisco Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) Solutions, including voice calls, video, chat, presence and web sharing. We will work with your company to determine the best design to implement the optimal combination of products and services tailored to your specific needs.</p>
<p>Among unified communications companies, Fidelus provides premiere service and support to keep you at the forefront of the latest in UC technology. As a Cisco Gold Partner, we specialize in Cisco UC products that enable comprehensive and effective collaborative experiences. Our UC solutions ensure your organization doesn’t fall behind the curve.</p>
<p><b>We settle for nothing less than 100% client satisfaction.</b> We are hyper-focused UC experts. Our mission is to provide the highest level of service by addressing the technical, organizational and behavioral needs of each client.</p>
<p><b>We help you work smarter.</b> We provide seamless integration. We aim to maintain a broad and progressive suite of Unified Communications solutions, directed at improving client communication processes and increasing overall productivity for companies.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fidelus.com/company/about-us">http://www.fidelus.com/company/about-us</a></p>Three Things You Can Do to Get More Out of Cisco WebExtag:jensocial.com,2015-09-28:2154984:BlogPost:5146992015-09-28T10:26:04.000ZFidelus Technologies LLChttp://jensocial.com/profile/FidelusTechnologiesLLC
<p>Summer is almost here. And for today’s corporate workforce that often means more frequent work-from-home days, working vacations and other circumstances that call for a WebEx meeting. With that in mind, we thought it might be a good time to highlight a few <b>simple things you can do to enhance the WebEx experience</b> – for you and your audiences.</p>
<p><b>1) Simplify and speed up WebEx meetings with the new Collaboration Meeting Rooms.</b> Historically, one of the biggest criticisms of…</p>
<p>Summer is almost here. And for today’s corporate workforce that often means more frequent work-from-home days, working vacations and other circumstances that call for a WebEx meeting. With that in mind, we thought it might be a good time to highlight a few <b>simple things you can do to enhance the WebEx experience</b> – for you and your audiences.</p>
<p><b>1) Simplify and speed up WebEx meetings with the new Collaboration Meeting Rooms.</b> Historically, one of the biggest criticisms of WebEx was the process of setting up, launching and joining a web meeting. With the recent introduction of Collaboration Meeting Rooms Rooms for cloud WebEx, you can now have a persistent virtual “room” that allows you to instantly launch and join a web meeting through a personal URL. This is a great tool to use for teams that have a consistent need to meet and collaborate at a moment’s notice without going through all the usual steps familiar to WebEx users.</p>
<p><b>2) Take advantage of the WebEx Recording Editor.</b> Downloading the WebEx Recording Editor to your account will give youan easy-to-use tool for converting WebEx video recordings into a file format – mp4 or wmv – that allows you to easily post your recording on your corporate YouTube or Vimeo account, website or other channels. Plus, with the Recording Editor you can edit the recorded meeting to make it a more useful and engaging piece of content after the fact. Fifty-minute, meandering presentations can be trimmed and punched up into a lean 15-minute video that captures the main points more succinctly. Gaffes, glitches and other fails, technical or human, can be removed for a more polished product. This is particularly useful for webinars, product demos and other content assets you want to use beyond the original web conference. Here’s a step-by-step guide to download and start using the WebEx Recording Editor.</p>
<p><b>3) Set the stage for your video appearance.</b> There are many things you can do to enhance the overall WebEx experience without touching the technology. If you’re a WebEx power user that frequently interacts with prospects, customers, partners or other important contacts, a well-lit, uncluttered space can make a world of difference in how you are perceived. Set up a bright but diffuse light source in front of you, not behind, and choose a position that displays a neutral, non-distracting backdrop.</p>
<p>Have any questions about how you can optimize WebEx for your users? Feel free to connect with our team for a chat.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.fidelus.com">http://www.fidelus.com</a></b></p>Repairing and Replacing Laptop Keyboard Keystag:jensocial.com,2015-09-28:2154984:BlogPost:5145092015-09-28T10:06:00.000ZReplacement Laptop Keyshttp://jensocial.com/profile/ReplacementLaptopKeys
<p>Owning a laptop or notebook computer is essential for many people. Whether it is used for work purposes, Internet surfing, video games or other entertainment is irrelevant. However, one thing is very important; you need the PC or Mac laptop to function properly. Often this involves repairing or replacing specific <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/">laptop keyboard keys</a>. As you may have gathered from our website, this can easily be done by you, the laptop computer owner. As…</p>
<p>Owning a laptop or notebook computer is essential for many people. Whether it is used for work purposes, Internet surfing, video games or other entertainment is irrelevant. However, one thing is very important; you need the PC or Mac laptop to function properly. Often this involves repairing or replacing specific <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/">laptop keyboard keys</a>. As you may have gathered from our website, this can easily be done by you, the laptop computer owner. As for the different types of keys on your computer keyboard, none of them are difficult to manage.</p>
<p>As you can see, laptop computer keys vary in size and shape. While the number and letter keys look virtually the same, keyboard keys like the Spacebar, Shift key, Tab, Delete, or Enter (Return) key are different. So, what is the difference between repairing or replacing an Escape key versus a Command key? Not a whole lot! The truth is, all of these laptop computer keys have similar small parts and mechanisms. In other words, they all have retainer clips or hinges, as well as small rubber cups, which act as springs.</p>
<p>Let’s say you are repairing or replacing a laptop keyboard space bar key. Don’t immediately presume that this will be a difficult task, just because the space bar key is the largest key. It doesn’t work that way. One factor that does make the Spacebar key unique is that it typically has two hinges (retainer clips) and two rubber cup springs. This is simply because it is longer. However, the same techniques can be applied to repair or replace this laptop key. Please keep in mind that we offer all <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com">replacement laptop keys</a> for all makes and models.</p>Compaq Replacement Laptop Keystag:jensocial.com,2015-09-28:2154984:BlogPost:5147642015-09-28T08:37:47.000ZReplacement Laptop Keyshttp://jensocial.com/profile/ReplacementLaptopKeys
<p>Compaq computers have been around since 1982. This American brand of personal computers is used in countless businesses, universities, and homes all over the United States. Over time, Compaq has manufactured a variety of laptops to suit various needs and preferences. If you own and use a Compaq laptop computer for your daily computing tasks, then you may need a replacement laptop key at some point or another.</p>
<p>If you are like most people, you do not pay a lot of attention to the…</p>
<p>Compaq computers have been around since 1982. This American brand of personal computers is used in countless businesses, universities, and homes all over the United States. Over time, Compaq has manufactured a variety of laptops to suit various needs and preferences. If you own and use a Compaq laptop computer for your daily computing tasks, then you may need a replacement laptop key at some point or another.</p>
<p>If you are like most people, you do not pay a lot of attention to the keyboard on your laptop or notebook computer, until something actually goes wrong or breaks. Typically it is an individual laptop key. Since you are on this website, you clearly know that replacement laptop keys are available to suit your Compaq computer. However, you must double check your laptop’s model number before purchasing anything. This is easy since it is commonly located on the service tag, which is stuck to the bottom of your laptop computer.</p>
<p>Let’s go over the different series’ of <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/compaq/" target="_self">Compaq laptop keys</a>. These are the ZT Series, A Series, ZE Series, B Series, X Series, V Series, Business Series, C Series, Evo Series, CQ Series, G Series, NX Series, M Series, Presario Series, and R Series. As with other laptop brands, there are a number of computer models found under each Compaq series. When you choose a replacement key for your Compaq laptop, be sure to select the right model.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/">http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/</a></p>Fidelus Helps Unify DonorsChoose.org’s Workforce with Cisco Business Edition 6000tag:jensocial.com,2015-09-22:2154984:BlogPost:5144942015-09-22T12:15:26.000ZFidelus Technologies LLChttp://jensocial.com/profile/FidelusTechnologiesLLC
<p>DonorsChoose.org was created in 2000 with the simple idea of connecting teachers in need of classroom supplies with citizen donors willing to pitch in. Fast forward to 2014 – with big endorsements from Oprah, Stephen Colbert and Bill and Melinda Gates along the way – and the crowdfunding charitable organization grew to 75 employees working from offices in New York City and San Francisco, and 10 employees based in home offices across the country.</p>
<p>Although free, cloud-based tools like…</p>
<p>DonorsChoose.org was created in 2000 with the simple idea of connecting teachers in need of classroom supplies with citizen donors willing to pitch in. Fast forward to 2014 – with big endorsements from Oprah, Stephen Colbert and Bill and Melinda Gates along the way – and the crowdfunding charitable organization grew to 75 employees working from offices in New York City and San Francisco, and 10 employees based in home offices across the country.</p>
<p>Although free, cloud-based tools like Skype and Google Hangouts were adequate collaboration tools while the organization was a lean upstart, the time had come for more scalable, business-grade solutions that could unite a distributed workforce and provide reliable voice and video interaction between co-workers and external contacts.</p>
<p>“We wanted all of our people to feel like they were in the same room together regardless of whether they were in our offices or working remote,” says César Bocanegra, Chief Operating Officer.</p>
<p>The organization eventually landed on Cisco Business Edition 6000 as the best solution for their needs.</p>
<h2>The search begins for a Cisco solution provider that gets their mission.</h2>
<p>César and his team quickly put out an RFP to find a Cisco solution provider that could install and provide training for a Business Edition 6000 package that included video phones for all staff members, the Collaboration software suite and Catalyst switches and routers to support VoIP and video. They were hoping to find a solution provider with solid <a href="http://www.fidelus.com/cisco-collaboration/" target="_self">Cisco Collaboration</a> expertise, thorough trainers and attentive customer service. But just as important was a partner who understood the unique non-profit mission and culture of DonorsChoose.org. After engaging with several potential solution providers, none of which seemed to be a good fit, things instantly clicked when they met with New York City-based Fidelus.</p>
<p>“Fidelus was the only Cisco provider that took into account the fact that we had to stretch our budget as much as possible in executing this project because every dollar saved meant another dollar towards helping more teachers and students across the country.” says César.</p>
<p>But the affinity DonorsChoose.org felt from Fidelus went beyond the strength of what they put on paper.</p>
<p>“From the beginning of our conversations, Fidelus was very user-focused. They kept talking about our model, instead of the Fidelus model. We very quickly realized that the core values and culture of Fidelus were aligned one-to-one with ours.”</p>
<p>César elaborates on what those shared values are:</p>
<p>“Flexibility, innovative thinking, relentlessness, a user focus and most importantly an open environment where people are not afraid to speak their minds about what is working and what isn’t.”</p>
<p>This sense of rapport only grew stronger during the installation and training phase, which extended over several months in the latter half of 2014. In César’s eyes, the Fidelus collaboration consulting engineer and trainer, became a true extension of his own team during those months.</p>
<p>“The trainer was always flexible with her time and was just amazing at the training. She made it so much fun for our staff. And the engineer was always great about being there from early morning to late at night helping us work through all the remote phone configuration challenges.”</p>
<h2>Better collaboration tools are making a tangible difference for every employee.</h2>
<p>Six months in to using the new gear DonorsChoose.org is seeing a real impact on their communications in all directions.</p>
<p>“All the phones have video cameras, which makes our interactions go that much smoother,” says César. “You pick up the phone and instantly see the other person’s face in high definition. There are a lot fewer misunderstandings now.”</p>
<p>César cites the situation of their chief technology officer as one case in point. He recently moved to San Francisco but still has a team of 15 developers to manage back in New York. <a href="http://www.fidelus.com/" target="_self">Fidelus</a> engineers worked with him to optimize his Cisco gear and WebEx so that he can reliably hold his team meetings and one-on-ones remotely. “Now he only comes back to New York about once a quarter. Without his Cisco setup I honestly believe he would be travelling back once a month.”</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest beneficiaries have been the rest of the 10 remote workers who are mostly fundraisers. Before, they had been holding conversations with donors, grant providers and other important stakeholders over cell phones with sometimes poor reception and background noise. Now the team is equipped with high-quality Cisco video phones and Bluetooth headsets in their homes, which allows them to have much more professional interactions with outside people whose support is critical to the success of DonorsChoose.org.</p>
<p>With a solid collaboration environment now in place, DonorsChoose.org is already looking ahead to the future. César and his team plan on integrating larger Cisco TelePresence endpoints to take video communication to the next level.</p>Replace Acer Laptop Keys – How totag:jensocial.com,2015-09-22:2154984:BlogPost:5145792015-09-22T11:43:15.000ZReplacement Laptop Keyshttp://jensocial.com/profile/ReplacementLaptopKeys
<p>Acer laptop keyboards can be removed at any time. The entire keyboard is designed to be removed and replaced if it becomes damaged or nonfunctional in any way. As for a single <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/acer/">Acer laptop key</a>, this can easily be removed as well by the computer owner. This is good news since it means avoiding a hefty computer repair shop bill. First of all, you should be aware that you do not need to disassemble your Acer laptop in order to remove a…</p>
<p>Acer laptop keyboards can be removed at any time. The entire keyboard is designed to be removed and replaced if it becomes damaged or nonfunctional in any way. As for a single <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/acer/">Acer laptop key</a>, this can easily be removed as well by the computer owner. This is good news since it means avoiding a hefty computer repair shop bill. First of all, you should be aware that you do not need to disassemble your Acer laptop in order to remove a single key. There is no “computer technician” knowledge or know-how required to replace an Acer key. Simply follow the steps below!</p>
<ol start="1">
<li>Start by shutting down your Acer computer, and disconnecting the power cable. Now open the laptop computer in order to access the keyboard.</li>
<li>Pinpoint the damaged or broken Acer key. Using a simple flathead screwdriver, insert the tip of the screwdriver beneath the corner of the Acer key. Proceed to gently pry the key upwards, and pop it off. A plastic key frame will remain in the key’s compartment.</li>
<li>At this point, you need to use the screwdriver to carefully pry up the plastic frame in the key compartment, and pop it out.</li>
<li>Now, take the small plastic frame, and situate it into the bottom of the new Acer key. Press it down firmly until it snaps into place.</li>
<li>Lastly, position the new Acer key into the empty keyboard compartment, and press it down so that it snaps securely in place.</li>
</ol>
<p><a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/" target="_blank">http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/</a></p>Fidelus Employee Spotlight: Unified Communications Trainertag:jensocial.com,2015-09-22:2154984:BlogPost:5144932015-09-22T09:07:40.000ZFidelus Technologies LLChttp://jensocial.com/profile/FidelusTechnologiesLLC
<p>It can sometimes sound like a cliché, but our people really are the best asset Fidelus has. In that spirit we’d like to regularly highlight some of the team members that make <a href="http://www.fidelus.com">Fidelus</a> great.</p>
<p>Meet <strong>Carolyn Shea</strong>, one of our Unified Communications Trainers. She’s known by our clients for training team members on Cisco Unified Communications endpoints using superheroes, and more generally as a fun, friendly and dedicated…</p>
<p>It can sometimes sound like a cliché, but our people really are the best asset Fidelus has. In that spirit we’d like to regularly highlight some of the team members that make <a href="http://www.fidelus.com">Fidelus</a> great.</p>
<p>Meet <strong>Carolyn Shea</strong>, one of our Unified Communications Trainers. She’s known by our clients for training team members on Cisco Unified Communications endpoints using superheroes, and more generally as a fun, friendly and dedicated instructor.</p>
<p><b>When did you first start working at Fidelus?</b><br/> I started here almost two years ago in August, 2013. My first week was also the week of my birthday, which happened to fall on that Friday. I got a very warm welcome from everyone.</p>
<p><b>How would you describe the Fidelus culture?</b><br/> The culture at Fidelus really keeps me going. All teammates (it’s always “teammates” here, never “employees”) support each other to make individual workloads easier to bear, when possible. I feel like everyone is constantly learning from each other, especially when technical and non-technical staff have the opportunity to collaborate. And of course, the happy hours together are always fun!</p>
<p><b>What extracurricular activities do you partake in around the office?</b><br/> I’m definitely one of the people who loves to get involved with all the Fidelus activities. I’m part of an office group that likes to run together. We really keep each other motivated to push ourselves faster and farther. Plus, I actually write the Fidelus internal newsletter, so I’m the one keeping everyone up on the latest HR initiatives, programs and activities.</p>
<p><b>How does Fidelus support your work/life balance?</b><br/> We have a great, flexible telecommute policy that allows us to work variably from the office or at home. But it goes beyond HR policies. When I trained for a marathon, all Fidelus teammates were very supportive throughout my training and after the race. I also do volunteer work for my sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, and the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade and have always felt supported in those activities.</p>
<p><b>What do you like best about working at Fidelus?</b><br/> It’s an amazing place to work. This is my first time being a Unified Communications Trainer and my first job in training, but I really enjoy it. I love all the opportunities to travel and meet new people. Nothing makes me happier than someone walking out of a training session feeling confident to use their new phone or software. That never gets old for me.</p>Sony Laptop Key Removaltag:jensocial.com,2015-09-22:2154984:BlogPost:5147542015-09-22T08:06:35.000ZReplacement Laptop Keyshttp://jensocial.com/profile/ReplacementLaptopKeys
<p>Sometimes it is necessary to remove keys from your Sony Vaio laptop computer. This typically involves removing the entire keyboard first. Some reasons you may need to remove a computer key are as follows; it sticks, it is broken, something spilled on the keyboard, or it simply does not function properly. Keep in mind that basic maintenance of your Sony Vaio laptop is very important; at least if you expect it to function properly for years to come.</p>
<p>Begin by shutting down your Sony Vaio…</p>
<p>Sometimes it is necessary to remove keys from your Sony Vaio laptop computer. This typically involves removing the entire keyboard first. Some reasons you may need to remove a computer key are as follows; it sticks, it is broken, something spilled on the keyboard, or it simply does not function properly. Keep in mind that basic maintenance of your Sony Vaio laptop is very important; at least if you expect it to function properly for years to come.</p>
<p>Begin by shutting down your Sony Vaio laptop computer. Now, unplug the AC adapter, and carefully remove the battery from the laptop. At this point, you need to gently take out the computer’s keyboard. It is important to be delicate with this machine and all of its refined parts.</p>
<p>In order to remove the Sony Vaio laptop keyboard, you will need a simple flathead screwdriver. Use this tool gently, and stick it beneath the top of the keyboard. There is a piece of plastic nearest to the computer’s screen. There is a small space between this piece of plastic and the keyboard. You must lift the plastic piece. Just be sure not to tug it hard or aggressively. After all, it can break easily. The entire keyboard should be exposed.</p>
<p>There are a few screws to remove. Take these out of the keyboard, and set them aside. Proceed to lift the Sony Vaio laptop keyboard from the casing. Remember that the keyboard is still attached, so it is important to be gentle. As you will see, a ribbon cable is connected to the Sony computer and the keyboard itself. Slightly pull the ribbon cable upwards to unlock it. Now remove the cable.</p>
<p>The entire keyboard can now be removed from the Sony Vaio laptop. You can carefully pop or unsnap each necessary key from the keyboard by pulling upwards on the key’s sides. It is important to slide the wires to each key upward in order to effectively release each <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/sony/" target="_blank">Sony laptop key</a>. While these computer keys do pop off, they also snap back on.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/" target="_blank">http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/</a></p>Apple Laptop Keystag:jensocial.com,2015-09-22:2154984:BlogPost:5145772015-09-22T07:33:39.000ZReplacement Laptop Keyshttp://jensocial.com/profile/ReplacementLaptopKeys
<p>With Apple laptop computers flying off the shelves like hotcakes these days, there is a strong demand for replacement parts as well. <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/apple/">Apple laptop keys</a>, for instance, are commonly needed by MacBook, PowerBook, and iBook owners all over the world. After all, sometimes they wear out, and on other occasions, they are damaged accidentally. Either way, they are always replaceable with little effort.</p>
<p>It is important to understand the…</p>
<p>With Apple laptop computers flying off the shelves like hotcakes these days, there is a strong demand for replacement parts as well. <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/apple/">Apple laptop keys</a>, for instance, are commonly needed by MacBook, PowerBook, and iBook owners all over the world. After all, sometimes they wear out, and on other occasions, they are damaged accidentally. Either way, they are always replaceable with little effort.</p>
<p>It is important to understand the different types and variations of Apple laptop keys. This way you do not accidentally purchase the wrong replacement key or keys for your computer. One type is Apple iBook keyboard keys. So, if you have an iBook, you will need this specific type of Apple replacement key, should one get damaged or worn out. Computers are not perfect; they do wear out and need some maintenance over time. Luckily replacing a key is a quick fix.</p>
<p>Other kinds of Apple laptop keys are Powerbook keyboard keys, MacBook replacement keys, as well as Apple MacBook Pro keyboard keys. As long as you know your laptop or notebook model, it is a cinch to acquire the necessary replacement keys to keep that computer running smoothly. The MacBook Air model additionally has its own type of keyboard, which requires keys of a specific shape, size and fit. Fortunately we offer the Apple laptop replacement keys for this model as well. Please contact us if you need assistance with your Apple laptop keys.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/" target="_blank">http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/</a></p>Laptop Keyboard Key Install Guidetag:jensocial.com,2015-09-22:2154984:BlogPost:5145762015-09-22T06:17:58.000ZReplacement Laptop Keyshttp://jensocial.com/profile/ReplacementLaptopKeys
<p><a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com">Laptop keyboard key</a> caps and retainers clips often go missing, or break for one reason or another. The usual call to tech support when you have a missing key, more often than not is they want you to send the laptop off for weeks, and wants to charge you upwards of $150 for a new keyboard. I said, don't do it.</p>
<p>You can simply replace individual <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com">laptop keyboard keys</a>, without buying a new…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com">Laptop keyboard key</a> caps and retainers clips often go missing, or break for one reason or another. The usual call to tech support when you have a missing key, more often than not is they want you to send the laptop off for weeks, and wants to charge you upwards of $150 for a new keyboard. I said, don't do it.</p>
<p>You can simply replace individual <a href="http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com">laptop keyboard keys</a>, without buying a new keyboard. Installation is very simple, and most of the time if you get the correct key and the correct key retainer clip it just snaps right on, you will be back in business in no time.</p>
<p>In this blog, I will be posting laptop keyboard key installation guides for various Acer, Asus, Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM, Sony, and Toshiba Laptops. I will also be taking requests for different models, leave your model request in the comment sections.</p>Three ways to organize your Jabber contactstag:jensocial.com,2015-09-21:2154984:BlogPost:5147532015-09-21T12:30:30.000ZFidelus Technologies LLChttp://jensocial.com/profile/FidelusTechnologiesLLC
<p>Have you been slacking on your spring cleaning? Me too! We can all start today with our Instant Messenger (IM) contacts list.</p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.fidelus.com" target="_blank">Fidelus Technologies</a>, the IM application we use to communicate with team members and clients is Cisco’s Jabber. In fact, we like it so much, it’s a product that we recommend to clients. So, I spend a lot of time training on Jabber’s features and benefits. Jabber’s standout feature is that it allows users…</p>
<p>Have you been slacking on your spring cleaning? Me too! We can all start today with our Instant Messenger (IM) contacts list.</p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.fidelus.com" target="_blank">Fidelus Technologies</a>, the IM application we use to communicate with team members and clients is Cisco’s Jabber. In fact, we like it so much, it’s a product that we recommend to clients. So, I spend a lot of time training on Jabber’s features and benefits. Jabber’s standout feature is that it allows users to be productive from any device. When I say any, I really mean any. Currently, <a href="http://www.fidelus.com/cisco-solutions">Jabber</a> is available on Android, Blackberry, iPhones/iPads, Mac, and Windows platforms. Besides instant messaging and presence (IM&amp;P), you can utilize voice, video, desktop sharing and conferencing. Jabber’s all about being able to take a conversation or meeting from your office to your home and everywhere in between—without skipping a beat. But, what good is all that functionality if you can’t find who you want to message?</p>
<p><b>1) Hide Offline Contacts</b></p>
<p>To hide your offline contacts, press the gear button, select View, and uncheck ‘Show offline contacts.’ This will make your contact list less cluttered so you may quickly find the desired contact. Hiding offline contacts not only removes those contacts not signed in to Jabber, but it also evaluates the “Presence” part of IM&amp;P—hiding offline contacts also hides unavailable contacts.</p>
<p><b>2) Organize Contacts by Groups</b></p>
<p>Organization is key! The best way to organize by groups is to assign the group when you first add a contact.</p>
<p>If you don’t get a change to select a group for a new contact when you first add them to your contact list, no problem! You can right click on the contact and select ‘Move to group’ if you already have a group for the contact. If you don’t, press the gear, select file, select new, and select group.</p>
<p>There’s no steadfast rule on structuring your groups; base your groups on what makes sense to you. You can group by department, by specific teams or by frequent collaborators.</p>
<p><b>3) Use the Search Bar</b></p>
<p>Not every person you talk to needs to be added to your contacts list. Use the search bar for people that you don’t regularly talk to so you can keep your contacts list less cluttered.</p>
<p>And a little FYI, you can use these tips for most IM&amp;P platforms but these directions are specific to Jabber version 10.6.2.</p>Jamroom CMS - An Alternative to Ningtag:jensocial.com,2015-01-19:2154984:BlogPost:5101032015-01-19T13:30:00.000ZPaul Asherhttp://jensocial.com/profile/PaulAsher
<p><span>Jamroom is a modular </span><span class="index-callout">open source</span><span> Community CMS that is uniquely customizable and powerful. </span><br></br> <span>Running on your own server, you have </span><span class="index-callout">100% privacy and control</span><span> of your own system. </span><br></br> <span>It has been powering </span><span class="index-callout">thousands</span><span> of sites worldwide since 2003.</span></p>
<p><span>A few months ago we were approached by a Ning user,…</span></p>
<p><span>Jamroom is a modular </span><span class="index-callout">open source</span><span> Community CMS that is uniquely customizable and powerful. </span><br/> <span>Running on your own server, you have </span><span class="index-callout">100% privacy and control</span><span> of your own system. </span><br/> <span>It has been powering </span><span class="index-callout">thousands</span><span> of sites worldwide since 2003.</span></p>
<p><span>A few months ago we were approached by a Ning user, unhappy with the way Ning was going and with their their lack of progress, updates and support. He asked if we could import his site from Ning to Jamroom. Investigation showed that this was indeed possible and straightforward to do, and spawned the 'Ning to Jamroom' project and the development of a module to take an exported Ning site archive of all members, their content, items and comments, and import it into a Jamroom site that replicates all Ning functionality (and adds a load more).</span></p>
<p><span>This project has now matured and has been taken up by many more Ning users who are now either running a 'live' version of their Ning site, are making the move, or are using Jamroom for their new sites and ideas. They are also contributing to a lively Jamroom forum helping more potential 'ex-Ningsters' out as well as fielding questions, suggestions and comments to us Jamroom developers (which we appreciate, of course).</span></p>
<p><span>If you think Jamroom might be the way forward for you, please checkout the links below. If you have any questions, please ask - we would look forward to seeing you on the forum.</span></p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Paul Asher - Jamroom Development and Import Specialist.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.jamroom.net" target="_blank">Jamroom</a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.jamroom.net/ning-to-jamroom" target="_blank">Ning to Jamroom Project</a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-network/forum/ning-to-jamroom" target="_blank">Ning to Jamroom Forum</a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.jamroom.net/ning-to-jamroom/documentation/contents" target="_blank">Ning to Jamroom Documentation</a></p>
<p></p>A Picture May Be Worth 1000 Memberstag:jensocial.com,2014-09-21:2154984:BlogPost:5084712014-09-21T00:51:42.000ZLaura Occhipintihttp://jensocial.com/profile/LauraOcchipinti587
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/Pw1dkMtiMTtjjpRgT8l-y6wnP9YalHgfS1HwKVda0RzvsjWsBJHDvMdaJcveM3YGJEw*Z4nC2UsD4XqV830wvSjJtB8zj*pe/1000Words.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-left" height="223" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/Pw1dkMtiMTtjjpRgT8l-y6wnP9YalHgfS1HwKVda0RzvsjWsBJHDvMdaJcveM3YGJEw*Z4nC2UsD4XqV830wvSjJtB8zj*pe/1000Words.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="223"></img></a> Take pictures at EVERY event that you host for your group. Do not worry about the quality, just do your best. Why? <strong>Pictures of people at your events will attract more Members (for free), get more opens when you send out a newsletter, attract more viewers on Facebook, and so much more.</strong> In most…</p>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/Pw1dkMtiMTtjjpRgT8l-y6wnP9YalHgfS1HwKVda0RzvsjWsBJHDvMdaJcveM3YGJEw*Z4nC2UsD4XqV830wvSjJtB8zj*pe/1000Words.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/Pw1dkMtiMTtjjpRgT8l-y6wnP9YalHgfS1HwKVda0RzvsjWsBJHDvMdaJcveM3YGJEw*Z4nC2UsD4XqV830wvSjJtB8zj*pe/1000Words.jpg" width="223" class="align-left" style="padding: 10px;" height="223"/></a>Take pictures at EVERY event that you host for your group. Do not worry about the quality, just do your best. Why? <strong>Pictures of people at your events will attract more Members (for free), get more opens when you send out a newsletter, attract more viewers on Facebook, and so much more.</strong> In most cases, pictures will cost nothing more than your time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Quality</b></p>
<p>Sure, owning a fancy camera may result in better pictures, but not everyone can afford the newest DSLR. If all you have is a smart phone, start there. If you have a budget for a cheap point and shoot, buy one. If it's not in your budget, don't worry. Pictures will help you gain more Members. More Members mean more profit from dues, events and sponsors which means at some point you can invest in a more professional camera.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Photographer</b></p>
<p>Make sure you designate a photographer at each event. You can be the photographer, you can give your event host the responsibility, or you can hire an amateur (<a href="http://www.growyoursocialgroup.com/blog/2014/5/15/find-out-what-i-pay-my-door-staff-and-photographers-and-where-i-find-them">often on the cheap</a>). </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Watermarking</b></p>
<p>Do not share the photos until you watermark them. See <a href="http://www.growyoursocialgroup.com/blog/2014/7/5/watermarking-your-photos-is-easier-than-you-think" target="_blank">this blog</a> on how to create quick and easy watermarks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Share the Photos</b></p>
<p>After your event, share the images in multiple places so you can drive traffic back to your website.</p>
<p>- Post the pictures to an album on your website or better yet create a slider. If you have a NING network check out JenSocial's slider, <a href="http://www.jencreative.co/ning-slider/" target="_blank">http://www.jencreative.co/ning-slider/</a></p>
<p>- Post one picture in your newsletter and link it back to the album or slider.</p>
<p>- Post one picture on your Facebook page and link it back to the album or slider.</p>
<p>- Submit a few pictures and a press release to the newspaper.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Marketing Materials</b></p>
<p>Use pictures in your marketing materials. If you ran a dinner party in June and you have another coming up in July, <a href="http://www.growyoursocialgroup.com/blog/2014/6/27/how-to-be-your-own-graphic-designer">be your own graphic designer</a> and use the pictures you took in June to promote the July event!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>What to Photograph</b></p>
<p>Focus on taking pictures of people. For social groups I always prefer group shots, so pull 3-5 people together and have them smile for the camera. If you have extra time, take some candid shots and also take pictures of other things such as the venue, your welcome sign, your door host, a drink being poured, the dog that someone brought on the hike, etc.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Bottom Line:</b></p>
<p>Pictures will help you gain more Members for FREE. Everyone loves pictures which is why they get so many views and likes on Facebook and why people will open your newsletter. So do not worry about the quality if you do not have a budget for a camera or a photographer, instead focus on the quantity of pictures at every event.</p>
<p></p>
<p><img alt="@GrowYourGroup - Are These 6 Things Missing from Your Website?" style="float: left;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/MOC7BqAcxPsMEPs5*bCG-jbH6Kw2qc9a1KNjt28CkPa*ZJYYqc5cPN*zbkYxGo93SxYPb2BHTFhSHRiG16w*WQvrkQuKwUGv/GrowYourGroup450.jpg?width=150" width="150"/></p>
<p><em><span>I , Laura Occhipinti, founded <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.njyp.org/" target="_blank">New Jersey Young Professionals</a> in 2004. I have 5,000+ dues paying Members on my Ning website and 11,000 Young Professionals on my mailing list. <strong>You can <a rel="nofollow" href="https://groups.leadpages.net/jen-social-my-favorite-tools/">d<i>ownload a copy of My Favorite Tools</i></a></strong></span></em><strong> <i>(Hint: The BEST ones are FREE). </i></strong></p>Official Release! The Ning 3.0 Slider is here!tag:jensocial.com,2014-08-08:2154984:BlogPost:5075682014-08-08T08:10:12.000ZJenSocialhttp://jensocial.com/profile/jmarco
<div style="line-height: 2.15em!important;"><p style="line-height: 2.15em!important;"><span style="color: #ff7a15; font-size: 29.5px;">Official Release! The Ning 3.0 Slider is here!<br></br><br></br><a href="http://www.jencreative.co/get-ning-slider/" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: underline;" title="Buy the Ning Slider!">Click here to get the slider!</a> |…</span></p>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 2.15em!important;"><p style="line-height: 2.15em!important;"><span style="color: #ff7a15; font-size: 29.5px;">Official Release! The Ning 3.0 Slider is here!<br/><br/><a style="color: #003366; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.jencreative.co/get-ning-slider/" title="Buy the Ning Slider!">Click here to get the slider!</a> | <a style="color: #003366; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://jendemo.ning.com/ning-slider-for-ning-3-0-text-link-back" title="Ning Slider Demo">See it in Action - DEMO</a></span><br/><br/></p>
<p style="line-height: 2.15em!important;"><span style="font-size: 29.5px;"><img style="float: left; padding: 5px 40px 25px 0px;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/BY6VWIVrp22QFigrloOIIKN--jJJNWFDPPnHphVkFFNxvFfmjuj20B5V-tH1Ri2fvZi5hSk34mTKe98JiYUbHHSZfQWw11FT/PTN_Introduces_NingSlider_sq.jpg?width=370" width="370"/>Featured Blog Slider or Ad Rotation Tool (Ning 3.0)</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2.15em!important;"><span style="font-size: 17.5px;"><b>Contact <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.jencreative.co/contact-us/">TJ or Jen</a> for assistance, if needed.</b><br/><br/>Build a Slider by simply Featuring Blog Posts! To update your slider, all you need to do is "Feature" a post! You can even add external links for slides to access, using the slider as an <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ad rotation app.</span></span><img style="float: right; padding: 20px;" alt="Get the new Ning Slider - Ning 3.0! Create Slider Easy as 1-2-3!" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/BY6VWIVrp20A-x1v1Fk0C8RNza6ory0SPdWo4hjs6S2yYY52p-RExZvmzlri1eNkTK4nzQlX6cYcXA**8WQf82luZR41t3GG/ning3Slider_CreateNingSlider_Easy123.jpg?width=240" width="240"/> <span style="font-size: 17.5px;">The Featured Blog Slider is a fully integrated slider for the Ning platform. No more time consuming CSS, editing tedious HTML, or uploading images the tough way. Just a quick install, feature a few Blog Posts with images, and</span> <span style="color: #ff7a15; font-size: 29.5px;">BOOM! A beautiful slider!</span> <span style="font-size: 17.5px;">Ning may offer a built-in slider someday. However, if they do, it's highly unlikely they will offer what we are offering in this Slider code.</span> <span style="font-size: 17.5px;">Our code is quite powerful, and will make it incredibly easy for you to add and update a responsive slider within the Ning 3.0 platform. =)</span></p>
<h2 style="font-style: normal;">After initial installation, <span style="color: #ff7a15; text-decoration: underline;">you never have to code again!</span></h2>
<h2 style="font-style: normal; color: #ff7a15;">Summary:</h2>
<span style="font-size: 17.5px;">The Featured Blog Slider (FBS) makes it super easy to create a <b>responsive slider</b> for your Ning Network. The FBS utilizes a Blog Module and the Blog's “Featured Blog Posts” to create a Slider container and the Slides. You can send slide “clicks” to a Featured Blog Post(s), or to other internal and external web pages. No more messy HTML and adding: Images, links, and titles - - the hard way! <font color="#FF3333">It</font> <font color="#FF3333"><span style="font-weight: normal;">will take you minutes to update your slider!</span></font> <font color="#000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Just feature a few Blog Posts that contain one image or a Lead Image - - done!</span></font></span><br />
<p></p>
<br/><br/></div>Membership Dues: Why You Need To Charge Them And When To Starttag:jensocial.com,2014-08-06:2154984:BlogPost:5075662014-08-06T14:09:28.000ZLaura Occhipintihttp://jensocial.com/profile/LauraOcchipinti587
<p><span><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/cwh76f0JjbkFu1rLrbYO56kA4z9DL*-P8pg4CvF-QC8Exo*AbPqsh6zH1QCdEDdXbD99wJejPB8-XzeOmaOuinTSn9bczeE3/ChargeforMembership.png" target="_self"><img class="align-left" height="205" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/cwh76f0JjbkFu1rLrbYO56kA4z9DL*-P8pg4CvF-QC8Exo*AbPqsh6zH1QCdEDdXbD99wJejPB8-XzeOmaOuinTSn9bczeE3/ChargeforMembership.png" width="175"></img></a> So you are starting a group (or maybe you already have one going) and you are not sure if you should charge Membership dues or not. I can help. </span> </p>
<p></p>
<p><span>When I first launched my social group, Membership was free. Two years later I moved to a new platform that allowed me to have…</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/cwh76f0JjbkFu1rLrbYO56kA4z9DL*-P8pg4CvF-QC8Exo*AbPqsh6zH1QCdEDdXbD99wJejPB8-XzeOmaOuinTSn9bczeE3/ChargeforMembership.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/cwh76f0JjbkFu1rLrbYO56kA4z9DL*-P8pg4CvF-QC8Exo*AbPqsh6zH1QCdEDdXbD99wJejPB8-XzeOmaOuinTSn9bczeE3/ChargeforMembership.png" width="175" class="align-left" height="205"/></a>So you are starting a group (or maybe you already have one going) and you are not sure if you should charge Membership dues or not. I can help. </span> </p>
<p></p>
<p><span>When I first launched my social group, Membership was free. Two years later I moved to a new platform that allowed me to have two Membership levels: Basic (free) and Premium (yearly dues). Three years later I moved to another platform and decided that everyone needed to pay a one-time free. Currently, I am still on the same platform and to be a Member of my social group, you MUST pay a one-time fee of $19.99. Let’s talk about the pros and cons of each.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Free for All!</strong></p>
<p>Pros: There is really no barrier to join. If you are just starting out, and you have less than 500 Members, this is the way to grow your Membership quickly (read more at the bottom of this posting)!</p>
<p>Cons: Spammers and trolls will join. You’ll have to kick people of your group just to discover that they’ll create a new identity and sign right back up. You will also end up with a lot of inactive Members for whom you’ll be planning events (based on their survey answers). Furthermore, you will be missing out on a revenue stream.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Leveled Membership</strong></p>
<p>Pros: No barrier to join if you have a free option. Dues paying Members will bring in revenue for your group, and will enjoy some perks that the free Members do not receive. Perhaps those paying dues will be offered free entrance into events or discounts on events. Maybe your website will allow them access to certain areas, like forums or Member to Member email.</p>
<p>Cons: Depending on your platform and the perks you provide, those who pay for Memberships may be hard to track. Also, you will want a good platform that notifies people when their Membership is about to expire and ideally auto-charge them when it is time to renew. In addition, depending on access to your website features, you may still run into the same “cons” I listed under “Free for All”.</p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><strong>Membership Dues Required</strong></p>
<p>Pros: Great revenue source. This will most likely keep out spammers, trolls, and undesirable Members. You may also attract high quality Members (those who feel invested in your community and are ready to participate online and attend events).</p>
<p>Cons: Some people may not join because of the dues. You will have to figure out what price Members will pay. With my organization, once I decided to make Membership a one-time fee, I started off at $9.99. After MANY people joined and paid, I increased it to a $19.99 one-time fee. This is ideal because to most, paying $19.99 is a no-brainer (so they don’t bounce off my website), but it also brings in great yearly revenue! In past years I have made anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 per year JUST by collecting Membership Dues.</p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><strong>WHEN to start charging:</strong><br/> Do not launch a new group and start off with a Membership fee. No one wants to pay to be in a group that has one other member, or even just five other members. Do yourself a favor and<strong>do not charge membership fees until the group is thriving</strong>. By thriving, I mean: people are joining weekly or even daily, you are hosting events (if you are event based), people are attending events, people are chatting in the forums, etc. The more Members you have, the more valuable your group is from the perspective of non-members. Remember, when I transitioned to a Membership plan that charged dues, I started at a $9.99 one-time fee and I didn’t raise it to $19.99 until I had 2,000 dues paying Members. </p>
<p></p>
<p><br/><img alt="@GrowYourGroup - Are These 6 Things Missing from Your Website?" style="float: left;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/MOC7BqAcxPsMEPs5*bCG-jbH6Kw2qc9a1KNjt28CkPa*ZJYYqc5cPN*zbkYxGo93SxYPb2BHTFhSHRiG16w*WQvrkQuKwUGv/GrowYourGroup450.jpg?width=150" width="150"/><em><span>I , Laura Occhipinti, founded <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.njyp.org/" target="_blank">New Jersey Young Professionals</a> in 2004. I have 5,000+ dues paying Members on my Ning website and 11,000 Young Professionals on my mailing list. <strong>You can <a rel="nofollow" href="https://groups.leadpages.net/jen-social-my-favorite-tools/">d<i>ownload a copy of My Favorite Tools</i></a></strong></span></em><strong> <i>(Hint: The BEST ones are FREE). </i></strong></p>EVERY Face to Face Event Needs a Hosttag:jensocial.com,2014-07-30:2154984:BlogPost:5075422014-07-30T15:13:10.000ZLaura Occhipintihttp://jensocial.com/profile/LauraOcchipinti587
<p>If you want your Members to feel warm, cozy, and welcomed, make sure you have a designated host at your event. I have been to events where I was not greeted by a host and it always left me asking myself questions such as “Who is part of the group?”, “Are we gathering here for the night or moving to another spot?”, “Can I eat the food over there?”, etc. Unanswered questions leave Members with a sense of feeling unsure. Yet, you want your Members to feel comfortable so they will be likely…</p>
<p>If you want your Members to feel warm, cozy, and welcomed, make sure you have a designated host at your event. I have been to events where I was not greeted by a host and it always left me asking myself questions such as “Who is part of the group?”, “Are we gathering here for the night or moving to another spot?”, “Can I eat the food over there?”, etc. Unanswered questions leave Members with a sense of feeling unsure. Yet, you want your Members to feel comfortable so they will be likely to come to more events, talk to strangers, tell their friends about the group, etc.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>What Types of Face to Face Events Need a Host?</b></p>
<p>- All events types, from house parties to meditation on top of a mountain.</p>
<p>- All sized events, from 5 people to 500 people.</p>
<p>- Events where strangers are coming together to events where everyone will know each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Who Can Host?</b></p>
<p>- The person running the event can host as long as the group is small and they are able to welcome everyone AND run the event (assuming they have tasks such as leading meditation).</p>
<p>- You can hire a dedicated host.</p>
<p>- You can find a volunteer host.</p>
<p>- Ideally your hosts should be very friendly, outgoing, happy, welcoming, and non-judgmental</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>What are the Host's Tasks?</b></p>
<p>- The most IMPORTANT TASK for the host is to greet and welcome <b>every</b> single guest as s/he arrives. </p>
<p>- If the event is ticketed, the host should have a guest list and be able to collect payment if needed.</p>
<p>- Pass out nametags (optional)</p>
<p>- Answer questions, and if the host cannot answer the questions, then s/he should find out the answer from someone who has the information.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>What Else?</b></p>
<p>- Have your host arrive at least 15 minutes early so s/he can get settled and find out the answers to common questions (where is the bathroom, is there an ATM, etc).</p>
<p>- Make sure your host reads over the event description so they know what is going on and what to expect.</p>
<p>- If you are having an event where people do not know each other, consider having your hosts make introductions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Bottom Line:<br/></b> Do not underestimate the idea of designating a host for your event. A host will set the tone and make people feel good about their choice to attend your event. Do you have "event block" (EB is when you are unable to come up with new events for your community)? You can <a href="https://groups.leadpages.net/blog-event-based/" target="_blank">download 5</a> of my event ideas/write-ups to use with your group.</p>
<p></p>
<p><img alt="@GrowYourGroup - Are These 6 Things Missing from Your Website?" style="float: left;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/MOC7BqAcxPsMEPs5*bCG-jbH6Kw2qc9a1KNjt28CkPa*ZJYYqc5cPN*zbkYxGo93SxYPb2BHTFhSHRiG16w*WQvrkQuKwUGv/GrowYourGroup450.jpg?width=150" width="150"/></p>
<p><em><span>I , Laura Occhipinti, founded <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.njyp.org/" target="_blank">New Jersey Young Professionals</a> in 2004. I have 5,000+ dues paying Members on my Ning website and 11,000 Young Professionals on my mailing list. <strong>You can <a rel="nofollow" href="https://groups.leadpages.net/jen-social-my-favorite-tools/">d<i>ownload a copy of My Favorite Tools</i></a></strong></span></em><strong> <i>(Hint: The BEST ones are FREE). </i></strong></p>Everyone Should be Using Google Alertstag:jensocial.com,2014-07-21:2154984:BlogPost:5070752014-07-21T16:00:00.000ZLaura Occhipintihttp://jensocial.com/profile/LauraOcchipinti587
<p>I cannot tell you how many times my group was in the news and I was not even notified. Instead I found out via Google Alerts (a totally free, easy, and awesome provided by Google). What is Google Alerts?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Google Alerts as Defined by Google:<br></br></b> “Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your queries. Enter a search query you wish to monitor. You will see a preview of the type of results you'll receive.” …</p>
<p>I cannot tell you how many times my group was in the news and I was not even notified. Instead I found out via Google Alerts (a totally free, easy, and awesome provided by Google). What is Google Alerts?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Google Alerts as Defined by Google:<br/></b> “Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your queries. Enter a search query you wish to monitor. You will see a preview of the type of results you'll receive.” <a href="https://www.google.com/alerts">https://www.google.com/alerts</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>How to Use Google Alerts:<br/></b> Set up multiple Google alerts (it’s free, why not?). I have the following alerts set-up:</p>
<ul>
<li>"Get out. Make friends."</li>
<li>"Laura Occhipinti"</li>
<li>"Members meet at restaurants, bars, in coffee houses, at comedy clubs, and even outdoors"</li>
<li>"New Jersey" "Young Professionals"</li>
<li>NJ "Young Professionals"</li>
<li>NJYP</li>
</ul>
<p>As you can see, not only am I watching out for information about my organization, I am also keeping an eye on whether anyone is using my tag line and copy illegally, talking about me by name, and talking about Young Professionals in NJ. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Bottom Line:<br/></b> It will take you less than a minute to set up a few Google Alerts. An alert will keep you updated on who is talking about you and it also may help you figure out who is stealing your stuff.</p>
<p></p>
<p><img alt="@GrowYourGroup - Are These 6 Things Missing from Your Website?" style="float: left;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/MOC7BqAcxPsMEPs5*bCG-jbH6Kw2qc9a1KNjt28CkPa*ZJYYqc5cPN*zbkYxGo93SxYPb2BHTFhSHRiG16w*WQvrkQuKwUGv/GrowYourGroup450.jpg?width=150" width="150"/></p>
<p><em><span>I, Laura Occhipinti, founded <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.njyp.org/" target="_blank">New Jersey Young Professionals</a> in 2004. I have 5,000+ dues paying Members on my Ning website and 11,000 Young Professionals on my mailing list. <strong>You can <a rel="nofollow" href="https://groups.leadpages.net/jen-social-my-favorite-tools/">d<i>ownload a copy of My Favorite Tools</i></a></strong></span></em><strong> <i>(Hint: The BEST ones are FREE). </i></strong></p>The Mistake I Made for 10 Years (It Makes Me Cringe)tag:jensocial.com,2014-07-15:2154984:BlogPost:5067902014-07-15T00:44:43.000ZLaura Occhipintihttp://jensocial.com/profile/LauraOcchipinti587
<p>Only recently did I realize I was making a <b>HUGE mistake</b> with my 5,000 Member social group. I was constantly <a href="http://www.growyoursocialgroup.com/blog/2014/4/5/5-things-you-can-do-to-recruit-members-low-or-no-cost">driving traffic</a> to my website, but I <b>failed to effectively capture the email</b> addresses of those who were not ready to pay dues. Sure, I had a standard sign-up form (generated by Constant…</p>
<p>Only recently did I realize I was making a <b>HUGE mistake</b> with my 5,000 Member social group. I was constantly <a href="http://www.growyoursocialgroup.com/blog/2014/4/5/5-things-you-can-do-to-recruit-members-low-or-no-cost">driving traffic</a> to my website, but I <b>failed to effectively capture the email</b> addresses of those who were not ready to pay dues. Sure, I had a standard sign-up form (generated by Constant <a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/hlBnt738bkzuCpXeWGlUjVKcbTaeWLR5NIn56Tq*Ls*sS4R8kKHi7beXxUQjQW31PpqVGALeAqNYGzmLMiTNvdePEAC7Gc6x/BribesStandard.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/hlBnt738bkzuCpXeWGlUjVKcbTaeWLR5NIn56Tq*Ls*sS4R8kKHi7beXxUQjQW31PpqVGALeAqNYGzmLMiTNvdePEAC7Gc6x/BribesStandard.png" width="129" class="align-right" style="padding: 10px;" height="176"/></a>Contact) that appeared on every page, but I didn’t realize there is a <b>FAR better way</b> to capture emails. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>BRIBES! Yup, EVERYONE who has a social group should be offering a bribe in exchange for an email address.</b> A bribe (also known as an ethical bribe) is a freebie that has value. A user will give you their email in exchange for the freebie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sample Bribes</b>:</p>
<p>Mom’s Club of NYC – “5 Zoos That You Can Get Into for FREE”</p>
<p>Colorado Newbie Hikers – “10 Must-Haves for Every Hike”</p>
<p>Chicago Foodies – “Where to Find the 7 Best Taco Food Trucks”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Here are the STEPS YOU need to take so you do not make the same mistake I did:</b></p>
<p>- Create a “bribe”. Here are the bribes I created for my social group:</p>
<ul>
<li>“Want to expand your social circle? Laura Occhipinti (founder) shares 5 steps to making friends via NJYP.”</li>
<li>“Get My 4 Must Read Speed Dating Tips”</li>
</ul>
<p>- Now connect the bribe to your email marketing service. Depending on your budget, you can use something like LeadPages.Net (I pay $197 a year) or you can use an auto-responder (assuming you are already paying for an email marketing service like Mailchimp or Constant Contact). Here are the directions on how to do this using MailChimp, <a href="http://eepurl.com/gYZQ">http://eepurl.com/gYZQ</a></p>
<p>- Create an attractive image that users will click to get the bribe. Below are the images I used.</p>
<p> <a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/hlBnt738bkwEdeURaUgkI8S1TY9NUGESfzsr-PGDjLscdjJLZaIBLmzv3y5Ju-70mP0WkgYI4wk6aIxFXV2xrJYqJsqTrtlI/Bribes.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/hlBnt738bkwEdeURaUgkI8S1TY9NUGESfzsr-PGDjLscdjJLZaIBLmzv3y5Ju-70mP0WkgYI4wk6aIxFXV2xrJYqJsqTrtlI/Bribes.png?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" style="padding: 10px;"/></a></p>
<p>- Now that you have all the pieces, put them together.</p>
<ul>
<li>Add your attractive images to your website,</li>
<li>Have it link to the email sign-up form,</li>
<li>Once users add their email to the sign-up form, the auto-responder will send them the bribe.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><b>I still cringe</b> when I think about all of the people who came across my website, checked it out, but then left because they didn’t have time to join, or weren’t ready to join etc. Either way, they most likely forgot about my website and how they found it. Thus, creating a system with a bribe is one of the FIRST things you should do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Want to see if your bribe is of value? Please comment with your group name and proposed bribe title.</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Pro-Tips<br/></b> Place at least one bribe ABOVE the fold on the home page.</p>
<p>Make sure EVERY page of your website has a bribe on it.</p>
<p>Test it out! Pretend you are a user and make sure it works from start to finish.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img alt="@GrowYourGroup - Are These 6 Things Missing from Your Website?" style="float: left;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/MOC7BqAcxPsMEPs5*bCG-jbH6Kw2qc9a1KNjt28CkPa*ZJYYqc5cPN*zbkYxGo93SxYPb2BHTFhSHRiG16w*WQvrkQuKwUGv/GrowYourGroup450.jpg?width=150" width="150"/></p>
<p><em><span>I, Laura Occhipinti, founded <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.njyp.org/" target="_blank">New Jersey Young Professionals</a> in 2004. I have 5,000+ dues paying Members on my Ning website and 11,000 Young Professionals on my mailing list. <strong>You can <a rel="nofollow" href="https://groups.leadpages.net/jen-social-my-favorite-tools/">d<i>ownload a copy of My Favorite Tools</i></a></strong></span></em><strong> <i>(Hint: The BEST ones are FREE). </i></strong></p>
<p> </p>Are These 6 Things Missing from Your Website?tag:jensocial.com,2014-07-07:2154984:BlogPost:5070352014-07-07T15:00:00.000ZLaura Occhipintihttp://jensocial.com/profile/LauraOcchipinti587
<p>Every website should have these 6 things. If anything might be missing, make it your goal to audit your website and put these in place within a month:</p>
<p> </p>
<ol start="1">
<li><b>Contact Information</b> – Do not make it hard for people to contact you. You could potentially miss out on new Members AND potential sponsors (who want to give you money).</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-left: 2em;"><ul>
<li>Make sure the contact email address is EASY to find. Ideally, you will have a tab that…</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>Every website should have these 6 things. If anything might be missing, make it your goal to audit your website and put these in place within a month:</p>
<p> </p>
<ol start="1">
<li><b>Contact Information</b> – Do not make it hard for people to contact you. You could potentially miss out on new Members AND potential sponsors (who want to give you money).</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-left: 2em;"><ul>
<li>Make sure the contact email address is EASY to find. Ideally, you will have a tab that says “Contact”.</li>
<li>Have your contact email all over the place! Have it on a tab, in the foot, in the FAQ, etc.</li>
<li>Try not to use a form. Suck up the spam.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p> </p>
<ol start="2">
<li><b>Opt-In</b> (my next blog will provide more detail about this) – You need to do everything you can to capture the email address of EVERYONE who encounters your website. Not everyone is going to “sign-up” right away, and you do not want them to forget about your website. Instead of losing a potential Member, try:</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-left: 2em;"><ul>
<li>Offering a bribe in exchange for their email.</li>
<li>Having a newsletter sign-up form (Mailchimp is FREE for up to 2,000 subscribers)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p> </p>
<ol start="3">
<li><b>Pictures</b> (i.e. Sliders) – Everyone loves pictures. No matter what your niche is, have a slider on the home page.</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<ol start="4">
<li><b>Membership Policy</b> – Make it easy for your Members to understand the rules. If you have all the rules in one place, you can send rule violators the link once they break a rule.</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<ol start="5">
<li><b>FAQ</b> – Having an FAQ will greatly cut down on your customer service emails. For example, members who moved out of NJ were constantly asking me how they could remove themselves from my website. I put the answer in my FAQ to cut down on the number of emails with the same question and to have a place to refer people when they continued to ask the question.</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<ol start="6">
<li><b>Social Media Links</b> – Even if you do not yet have time to manage Social Media sites, create the sites and have the links to them on every page of your Ning website. Make sure you include a link to your Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIN, Instagram, etc. On a whim, I created a LinkedIN group for my organization and by simply putting a link to it on every page of my website, I grew the group to 6,000 Members.</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" title="GrowYourSocialGroup.com" href="http://www.growyoursocialgroup.com/"><img alt="@GrowYourGroup - Are These 6 Things Missing from Your Website?" style="float: left;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/MOC7BqAcxPsMEPs5*bCG-jbH6Kw2qc9a1KNjt28CkPa*ZJYYqc5cPN*zbkYxGo93SxYPb2BHTFhSHRiG16w*WQvrkQuKwUGv/GrowYourGroup450.jpg?width=150" width="150"/></a></p>
<p><b>Bottom Line:</b></p>
<p>None of these items will take much time to add or change, yet they can make a difference in your work load and Membership numbers. If you can only do ONE of these things, pick #2. </p>
<p></p>
<p><em><span>I, Laura Occhipinti, founded <a href="http://www.njyp.org/" target="_blank">New Jersey Young Professionals</a> in 2004. I have 5,000+ dues paying Members on my Ning website and 11,000 Young Professionals on my mailing list. You can <a href="https://groups.leadpages.net/jen-social-my-favorite-tools/">d<i>ownload a copy of My Favorite Tools</i></a></span></em> <i><span>(Hint: The BEST ones are FREE). </span></i></p>Intro to Social Media Goals, Strategies, Tactics, and Engagementtag:jensocial.com,2014-02-17:2154984:BlogPost:4290152014-02-17T07:30:00.000ZSusan Danielshttp://jensocial.com/profile/susandaniels
<p>I like to keep things simple. So, when I read articles about strategies and still felt confused about how to incorporate the article points into my daily plan or long-term goals, it was time for me to break it down to basics.</p>
<p>“<strong>Strategies</strong>” is a word we see everyday, and in our social media world, it is commonly used in reference to marketing. The question keeps coming to me about what this actually means in terms of social media marketing.…</p>
<p></p>
<p>I like to keep things simple. So, when I read articles about strategies and still felt confused about how to incorporate the article points into my daily plan or long-term goals, it was time for me to break it down to basics.</p>
<p>“<strong>Strategies</strong>” is a word we see everyday, and in our social media world, it is commonly used in reference to marketing. The question keeps coming to me about what this actually means in terms of social media marketing.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span class="font-size-7">↬ <span class="font-size-4">Hat Tip!</span></span></strong></span> From Wikipedia: Etymology: The term “Strategy derives from the Greek “στρατηγία” (strategia), “office of general, command, <a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/aq07GQXjwH12Bpggj3PnAU3RjNPVnCp*lj4i6ogIMBfgf6NcnaUu-jxsRYrn*yteFKJ9cmGagADHhF2ojArpu2sVBvOZALZA/toysoldier.png"><img class="align-left" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/aq07GQXjwH12Bpggj3PnAU3RjNPVnCp*lj4i6ogIMBfgf6NcnaUu-jxsRYrn*yteFKJ9cmGagADHhF2ojArpu2sVBvOZALZA/toysoldier.png?width=125" width="125"/></a>generalship”, in turn from “στρατηγός” (strategos), “leader or commander of an army, general” a compound of “στρατός” (stratos), “army, host” + “ἀγός” (agos), “leader, chief”, in turn from “ἄγω” (ago), “to lead”.</p>
<p>Clearly, “Strategy” is originally a military term. Although it seems to be a stretch to think of Social Media Marketing Strategies as a military derivative – think about it again - it takes two to "engage."<br/> <br/> Now, let’s break it down into plain English and see how it works with social media marketing strategies.</p>
<blockquote><p> </p>
<p><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>GOALS</strong></span></p>
<p>In simple language, goals are what we strive for everyday. Without goals, we have no direction. Goals can be short-term or long-term.</p>
<p><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>STRATEGIES</strong></span></p>
<p>Strategies are Tactics linked together designed to help achieve a particular Goal.</p>
<p><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>TACTICS</strong></span></p>
<p>Tactics are individual tasks or actions that build and support our strategies to reach our goals.</p>
<p><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>ENGAGEMENT</strong></span></p>
<p>To engage is to take action with our per-determined strategies to meet our goals.</p>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>The flow chart below is a visual that shows my personal work flow without a lot of details to be better understood. You will note that I include self-care. On Golden Star Social, I strive to keep a balance and offer self-care as a definitive part of our marketing. If we don't care for ourselves, we can't possibly give and care for others. This is a point that is illuminated throughout the <a href="http://goldenstarsocial.com" target="_self">Golden Star Social</a> experience.<a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kYkWoLTW4g*PWjVJpb0rB5OyIshYc8jEe4*UcucA-llS12yG--SgFzyifYBFChqQvT6Poj0lRzWiGV5cumdwjPBBrA627xkS/strategy_tactic.png"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kYkWoLTW4g*PWjVJpb0rB5OyIshYc8jEe4*UcucA-llS12yG--SgFzyifYBFChqQvT6Poj0lRzWiGV5cumdwjPBBrA627xkS/strategy_tactic.png" width="550"/></a>As you most likely have already done, you can add your own words to fit your situation. From my perspective, a good business plan and a couple of excellent platforms from which to build my business are my core strategies. My tactics will assist me to build, design and offer good content on my business sites. To me, "Engage" is something I do everyday to promote my strategies and to continue to find new tactics.</p>
<p>Let me know, in the comment section below, what your perspective is and what your flow chart might look like or say.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://susandaniels.ning.com/members/218my2n6ufc8r"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kYkWoLTW4g*W2rbuY13qFZx1KS8HGTEhqK94STt-ghwKPaG0Lb9xNBOaGt5aWkJE4HMPATWD3gCvMAFmLOvsUwDnGnG5qvU7/Warmly_Susan.png?width=200" width="200"/></a></p>
<p> </p>Introduction to List.ly for Content and Organizationtag:jensocial.com,2014-02-17:2154984:BlogPost:3988272014-02-17T07:00:00.000ZSusan Danielshttp://jensocial.com/profile/susandaniels
<p>Golden Star Social currently has 32 <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> lists embedded in training and information posts. Have you used <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a>? Do you find it useful?</p>
<p>I fell in love with <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> when I made my first list. I had lists on my computer, my web sites, in notebooks, bookmarks and on pieces of paper. Was I ever happy to…</p>
<p>Golden Star Social currently has 32 <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> lists embedded in training and information posts. Have you used <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a>? Do you find it useful?</p>
<p>I fell in love with <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> when I made my first list. I had lists on my computer, my web sites, in notebooks, bookmarks and on pieces of paper. Was I ever happy to find <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> for lists to help me with my organization to bring all these loose ends together in one place.</p>
<p>I decided the best way to show how to use the <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> site for content is with the use of a list created on List.ly. In the list below, you will find several articles on How to Use List.ly. The articles show various uses of this content tool at its best! Below the articles are steps to get started with List.ly and how to use it.</p>
<p>I have included three "how to" videos below the list for your convenience, as well.</p>
<p>Simply stated, <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> is an online social media venue that allows you to curate lists that are then viewed by others. You can embed these lists in various formats such as "gallery" and "magazine" into your own website pages.</p>
<p>Creating lists is simple. Go to the <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> site, join for free and click create a ‘new list’, then put in a name and description. Start adding your content and you have your first list. It's that simple. Be sure to use the advanced options to enter tags, a header image and links back to your website.</p>
<p>One List.ly feature is to instruct your readers to ‘like’, ‘dislike’, comment or add their own items to the list. The lists may be re-organized based on viewer popularity.</p>
<p>One advantage is that when you embed your lists in blogs or website, you offer your readers an asset that you own.</p>
<p><a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> gives you the option of uploading your own customized banners in the heading of the lists which gives your brand continuity. My hope is that when another List.ly member uses one of my lists, my banner will bring them back to my site. What a great way to get organic traffic.</p>
<p> </p>
<div style="text-align: left;" id="ly_wrap_EoA"><strong id="ly_wrap_EoA_t" style="display: block; margin: 10px 0 4px;"><a href="http://list.ly/list/EoA-articles-about-how-to-use-list-dot-ly" target="_blank" title="Articles About How to Use List.ly">Articles About How to Use List.ly</a></strong><div style="padding: 4px 0 10px;">View more <a href="http://list.ly/" target="_blank">lists</a> from <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">Susan Kay Daniels</a></div>
</div>
<p> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UgNzCLiP1wY?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/E84jhKHMVNo?feature=player_embedded&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nihpxvxl354?feature=player_embedded&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote><p>Your Calls to Action are as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Join <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> (free)</li>
<li>Create your first list.</li>
<li>Embed it in your website.</li>
<li>Leave a link in the comment section below that will lead us to your embedded <a href="http://list.ly/SusanDaniels.me" target="_blank">List.ly</a> list.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>Happy listing!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://goldenstarsocial.com/gspartners"><img class="align-left" style="padding: 3px;" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/GrESGA1CkwiDpY0ej2-GimkgKd85jXoQlIasmK67Wl-gLcNb8lMsTOruXEomxmcjIiJoQA3wC0oCDQEufCfipkjszOMCrugj/Warmly_Susan.png?width=200" width="200"/></a></p>Crockpot Candy!! Skinny Recipes & More to get us thru the holidaystag:jensocial.com,2013-11-15:2154984:BlogPost:5001962013-11-15T16:31:47.000ZDenice Duszynskihttp://jensocial.com/profile/DeniceDuszynski
<p><span>My family expects these for Christmas every year, but didn't think I was going to be able to make them this year because of my recent shoulder surgery. Guess what???? I found a way.. in the crockpot. Yay!! Remember everything in moderation!!!</span><br></br><br></br><span>Here is one for the holidays</span><br></br><span>M</span><span class="text_exposed_show">oderation as always when trying to lose weight…<br></br></span></p>
<p><span>My family expects these for Christmas every year, but didn't think I was going to be able to make them this year because of my recent shoulder surgery. Guess what???? I found a way.. in the crockpot. Yay!! Remember everything in moderation!!!</span><br/><br/><span>Here is one for the holidays</span><br/><span>M</span><span class="text_exposed_show">oderation as always when trying to lose weight<br/><strong><span style="color: #993366;">♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿</span></strong><br/><strong><span style="color: #993366;">For more great skinny recipes, weight loss tips, lots of fun and amazing friends--Click this website and join us here---&gt; <a href="http://www.skinnyfriends.info">www.skinnyfriends.info</a> &lt;--- this is our facebook group... 23,000 members come and join us!!</span></strong><br/><br/><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/w-k4IC*v9QlM3CKwArk6qob1dlp-Enw8KDkNjh4ZWuJJUdQI2ro6DMNtVIpR5k3Pl2lV7pm2kKEvipwkZEaXBWr9UbZJ4xqn/crockpotcandy.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/w-k4IC*v9QlM3CKwArk6qob1dlp-Enw8KDkNjh4ZWuJJUdQI2ro6DMNtVIpR5k3Pl2lV7pm2kKEvipwkZEaXBWr9UbZJ4xqn/crockpotcandy.jpg" width="263" class="align-full"/></a><br/>Ingredients:<br/><br/>Servings:24<br/><br/>1 (16 ounce) package dry roasted salted peanuts<br/>1 (16 ounce) package unsalted dry roasted peanuts<br/>1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate bits<br/>1 (4 ounce) German chocolate bars<br/>32 ounces white almond bark<br/><br/>Directions:Put peanuts in bottom of crock pot; add other ingredients.<br/><br/>Cook on low setting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.<br/>Place rounded spoonfuls onto wax paper and allow to cool.<br/><br/><br/></span></p>#Mixtape - Punch Loc -The Hood Strikes Backtag:jensocial.com,2013-11-03:2154984:BlogPost:4998022013-11-03T16:03:09.000ZIndie Castlehttp://jensocial.com/profile/IndieCastle
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/OoN9q1jyhUVtW2x8R82YKc8-ukcUHATqzBC-aFHaGOxjISe8gGYm68cxo-bqZ8MIYS4EDafinuHRaWOvjKv7tAcQJap37cL2/Punch_Loc_The_Hood_Strikes_Backfrontlarge.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/OoN9q1jyhUVtW2x8R82YKc8-ukcUHATqzBC-aFHaGOxjISe8gGYm68cxo-bqZ8MIYS4EDafinuHRaWOvjKv7tAcQJap37cL2/Punch_Loc_The_Hood_Strikes_Backfrontlarge.jpg" width="500"></img></a></p>
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<p><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/OoN9q1jyhUVtW2x8R82YKc8-ukcUHATqzBC-aFHaGOxjISe8gGYm68cxo-bqZ8MIYS4EDafinuHRaWOvjKv7tAcQJap37cL2/Punch_Loc_The_Hood_Strikes_Backfrontlarge.jpg"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/OoN9q1jyhUVtW2x8R82YKc8-ukcUHATqzBC-aFHaGOxjISe8gGYm68cxo-bqZ8MIYS4EDafinuHRaWOvjKv7tAcQJap37cL2/Punch_Loc_The_Hood_Strikes_Backfrontlarge.jpg" width="500"/></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.datpiff.com/Punch-Loc-The-Hood-Strikes-Back-mixtape.546726.html">http://www.datpiff.com/Punch-Loc-The-Hood-Strikes-Back-mixtape.546726.html</a></p>